


Reunited

by HyphenL



Category: The Hobbit (2012)
Genre: Big Brothers, Brother Feels, Gen, Little Brothers, cuteness, lots of brothers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-20
Updated: 2013-01-21
Packaged: 2017-11-26 06:52:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/647771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HyphenL/pseuds/HyphenL
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>To protect the line of Durin, Fili and Kili were separated during their childhood: Fili was raised by Thorin, while Kili was told nothing of his inheritance and lived as a common dwarf. </p><p>One day, a company comes and fetches him, as well as two other young lads: a pale orc watches the valley, and there is danger in revealing the true heir's identity yet. They will be told who it is on the eve of their departure with Thorin.</p><p>Only Thorin isn't back yet, and there's also this stuff about his nephew having a brother (which is the only truly important bit according to Kili), and not knowing anything makes it much more difficult to discover... well, anything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. From the ashes a fire shall be woken

When he learnt he might be an heir of Durin, Kili did not feel excited. After all, there were three of them who could be the actual nephew of the Oakenshield: Thori, Finnli and himself. They had the same age and had lived the same sort of lives until now, raised amongst men as smiths and toymakers. 

However, unlike many young dwarves their age, they also had learnt the ways of combat. Kili was a pretty good archer himself. 

They were also the only ones who were taken from their family one night, to be told that one of them was of the line of the Kings, and that they would have to leave their family for a short while in order to meet with their potential uncle, the great Thorin Oakenshield, who had decided to take back Erebor. 

Erebor! Kili would have loved to see the great city under the mountain, as well as the golden fountains of golds and the magnificent dwarf town running with people and laughter. 

He was not quite sure about wanting to reclaim it himself, though. Potential-uncle Thorin might be a nice chap, or even a great king, but Kili did not know him the least, and kind of already preferred his mother and his young smith friends to him, even the human ones. At least they had not pulled him out of bed to inform him he might-or-might-not be a future king who would have to risk his life for an estranged uncle and a fallen country. 

Finnly and Thori had also looked hesitant. Finnly was a proud, capable warrior, but he loved his home dearly, and was about to get married to a lovely beard. Thori was a very good archer too, but a crafter above all, who loved inventing new, dazzling toys that baffled everyone. Kili himself was a great fighter, and the best archer of his town; and he enjoyed an adventure or two, not planning too much ahead and going with the stream; but he was not that fond of adventures that included potential death, fire-worms and an authoritative (as he heard) uncle. 

However, there was one thing he did not dislike about that Erebor business, and he thought about it all the way to Thorin's stay. 

The second heir of Durin had a brother. 

Slightly smaller than the three of them, he had been told, and blond, with a short beard and clear eyes. Someone with some brains (“contrarily to him” was the end of that sentence; thank's Dis!). 

While Kili and his companions's identity had been kept a secret, their potential-brother knew who he was. He had, indeed, been raised by Thorin himself, and had no need to hide: they never stayed anywhere long. 

Moreover, the second heir to the throne had been separated from them to lower the risks of having the whole line of Durin disappear in one go. And apparently, there was some sort of big white orc-goblin-troll-person who wanted them dead, but that was also a secret. 

Kili sighed. Of all the dwarves who had come to fetch him and his friends, there was only a blond one, Ori, who could match his potential-brother description. Only Ori did not like him much, even though Kili had really tried to be nice and polite to him, in spite of his impatient temper. 

He had tried to chitchat and talk about the weather, and incidentally ask him if he was the elder nephew of Thorin, to which Ori had answered with some disapproval.

They had been forbidden to talk about the matter, because some spying birds could have given them away, apparently. 

Kili thought that was stupid, but he shut up and mumbled an apology to the blond dwarf. 

“It is fine”, Ori answered, “but you ought not to bring the matter up again, not until meeting you-know-you on the day of your departure. Now if you don't mind, I have work to do; you can come back later”. 

Kili nodded, both happy at his potential-brother's permission to come back and mortified at his light scolding. 

However, that meant his potential-brother was earnest and followed the rules, which was... erm, Kili had never liked following the rules much, but if his brother thought it should be so, then Kili would try his best no matter what. 

So he spent the rest of the trip trying to act as perfect as possible, scrutinizing Ori's movements to copy them conscientiously, and not talking to anyone in fear that he might ask again questions about things that ought not to be mentioned. Thori and Finnly were usually quite boring anyway (especially since Finnly had fallen in love; he could not speak about anything else than his wive-to-be).


	2. A light from the shadows shall spring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raised as an only child, Kili learns he might be the nephew of the great Thorin Oakenshield, and brother of the young, blond heir of Durin. 
> 
> That means he's got a chance out of three to have a brother, and he'd really, really like that. 
> 
> But in spite of his best efforts, the only dwarf who matches his potential-brother's description doesn't take much interest in him. Well, at least this weird Fili-dude is being pretty nice.

They reached a small encampment on the morning of the second day. 

There was a small company of people there, which seemed to know very well the ones that had guided Kili and his friends to their hiding. Of all the dwarves present, Kili only recognised Bombur, who had sometimes visited his mother during the past years, and whose enormous beard and belly always had him amazed. He also knew Dwalin, who was a bit scary at first sight but kinda nice and who had been one of their guides, along with potential-brother Ori and Bifur. 

Bifur only spoke in their mother-tongue, and the axe that got out of his forehead intrigued and disgusted Kili a bit, but he also found Bifur quite funny and had spent some time with him on the road to hear him talk about Thorin's battles. 

When their arrived, Kili's eyes searched for the great Oakenshield (almost expecting to see him fighting white orcs with a wooden shield) but found him no-where. 

“We're back!” shouted Dwalin while getting down of his pony. “Now, where's dinner, we're hungry!”

The huge Bombur made a gesture to Dwalin, showing him that “dinner” was on the way; he then noticed Kili and they exchanged a gesture of welcome. 

Happy to be recognised, Kili glanced at Ori to see if the dwarf had noticed; but he hadn't, he was busy talking to another red-bearded someone. 

The young dwarf felt a pinch of sadness in his heart, reminding himself that he had only a chance out of three to actually _have_ a brother, and that Ori was probably just an ordinary dwarf. He thus decided to go to Bombur and greet him properly, but as he somewhat clumsily got of his ponies' back (the place was quite narrow), he almost fell on a young, blond dwarf who was standing right there. 

“Sorry”, he said immediately, and shooting a look at Ori -thankfully the other ponies where blocking the view. “I didn't see you there. I'm Kili, by the way, the son of Dis”. 

“I know”, the other dwarf said, looking at him with an intense, somewhat mocking look. “We have been looking forward your arrival”. 

Slightly creeped out by the other's scrutinizing look, Kili looked around. “Where is... well, “the Leader”, you know; apparently we're not supposed to talk about him”. 

“Oh, that's bull-crap”, the other said, “it's merely Dori being paranoid about talking ravens and all. I'm Fili, by the way; nice to meet you”. 

Kili examined him closely, thoughtful. Then he decided this dwarf might at last tell him something. 

“Say”, he started, “I have been told that the second heir of...” He paused, unsure that he could say the name, but Fili nodded. “That _he_ has a brother”, he continued. 

“Well that's true”, Fili answered, taking gently his wist in his. “But we cannot talk about it until we are ready to flee, and “the Leader” is not back from his meeting yet”.

A bit troubled both by the other's touch and by his somewhat mocking tone, Kili glanced at Ori. “We really can't say who anyone is?” he asked, disappointed.

“Dori is paranoid, but those woods indeed are not safe, and I am pretty sure orcs have been keeping watch over the valley. They must know there is _someone_ there.”

Fili's look really was intense. It pierced through Kili as if the other had wanted to read his soul, and Kili did not like that. It felt like the other wanted something from him, and he had still not let go of his wist. 

But at least he was willing to answer to some of his questions. 

“Still, you know... the brother?” he started tentatively. “How is he? Do you know him? Could you tell me about him?”

“Why are you so eager to learn about a person you wouldn't even remember?” replied Fili with some surprise, _and still not letting go of his goddamn wist_. 

“Because”, Kili answered, feeling a bit annoyed, “I never had a brother and I'm pretty sure I would like that”.

At last, Fili let go of him, with a wide grin on his face. “Well, I know him, obviously”, he said, “and he's a pretty neat lad”. 

“Blond with a short beard?” Kili asked instantly (Fili instinctively put a hand on his own facial hair). “And a bit shorter than me?” (The other dwarf looked a bit vexed.)

“Maybe”, he said. “That is the kind of things we should not discuss in the open, actually. But I can assure you he's a great warrior and a majestic fighter”. 

“Really?” Kili beamed, his grin widening foolishly on his soft features. “I will show him how good I am at archery then!” He then proceeded to depict with enthousiasm how often and precisely he was able to hit a target, and even though some part of Fili's brain listened to him, an even larger part of his heart was far to occupied at utterly falling in love with his baby brother for really registering his words. 

“Ah!” Kili suddenly interrupted himself. “B-but it might not be me”, he added in a lower voice. “Maybe it's one of the others.”

His face filled with sadness and sorrow, and Fili did not think before embracing him in comfort. “Don't gloom, it doesn't suit your pretty baby-face.”

It felt so perfectly comfortable, and natural, and fitting, and _right_ , that Fili did not imagine for one second that Kili might not had caught the drift. 

And Kili hadn't. He stood woodenly in surprise, warmed but creeped by the hug that strange dwarf gave him. He even threw a rapid glance around in hope that potential-brother Ori might come to his rescue, or at least come explain to Fili that dwarves did not act so straight-forward with people they had only met. 

But hey, at least that nut-job was being nice to him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The old that is strong does not wither,  
> Deep roots are not reached by the frost.


	3. Renewed shall be what was broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Surely, if I had a brother, he would have come to fetch me himself, right?”

The nut-job was actually the only one who really took an interest in him. Unsurprisingly, potential-brother Ori was much more fonder of Thori than of Kili, and both spent hours talking about engineering toys and machines. Kili had tried very hard to get included in their conversation, even going as far as drawing a pretty technical scheme to show it off to Ori; but the dwarf had barely looked at it. 

The more Kili thought about it, the more he felt like not the heir of Durin at all, but like an only-child smith. 

So he would go back to Fili, saddened and discouraged, and the other dwarf would welcome him warmly with a joke and a word of encouragement. 

“I am no nephew of _him_ at all”, Kili would sigh in resignation, and Fili would wrap his arm around his waist, pull him against his chest and whisper “I am sure a brother would like you a lot”. 

Sometimes, Kili decided his potential-brother was not Ori at all, but one of the dwarves that had gone with Thorin to the meeting. “Tell me their names again”, he asked Fili, and Fili recited: “Balin, Nori, Dori, Oin and Bofur”. 

“But Balin is old”, Kili would say, “and the others... tell me again about the others? I only remember Bofur, because he's young enough and wears silly hats”. 

“That's pretty much all there is to remember; either way, I'm not sure you are bright enough to figure it out without at least seeing them in person”, Fili would say, and then he would proceed to hug him gently, and stroke his hair. 

Fili was weird, but nice, and after a few days of this comradeship Kili had started feeling something like butterflies in his belly when he felt Fili reaching for him. 

At first, he had tried to avoid him like the plague, ironically. He did not think being courted by a strange dwarf on the eve of maybe meeting with his Royal uncle and not-less-Royal brother was very proper. However, the other dwarves had apparently cut him of. Whatever he said, and to whomever it was, ever Bombur! They always ended up telling him to look for Fili, or go fetch some wood with Fili, or anything at all -but with Fili. Perhaps they had noticed the interest the blond dwarf had for him. Maybe they only wanted him to clear off while the true heir of Durin (and Kili was more and more convinced it was Thori) got acquainted with his estranged brother. 

As a result, Kili felt resignation and disappointment sink in so much he did not even care when Fili suggested that they sleep closer at night. Fili's attitude still creeped him at times, but at this rate he would go back home with no uncle and no brother, so he might as well try on a fling or whatever that was called. 

“You are a bit too close, Fili”, Bombur warned on the night Fili had joined their mattresses. “You should give the boy some space”. 

He was cooking, as always, and the smell of his soup had watered Kili's mouth. 

“I don't mind, uncle Bombur” (Kili had always called him that even though it wasn't true). “I'm not used to sleeping alone, anyway. At home there's always mum in the nearish bed, and Undric and the smith most times of the week”. 

Bombur had scoffed disapprovingly, but let go. 

“Tell me about your mum”, Fili had asked when all where asleep, and both of them laid next to each other. “I never really knew mine, I'd like to know what she's like.” 

“Well, she's nice” Kili answered thoughtfully. “Only she gets mad when I don't clean my stuff, which is stupid, because she doesn't clean hers either!” 

Fili laughed lightly, and took Kili's hand in his. 

“What else?” he asked, and Kili told him everything. They talked until morning, and a bit more after that, and then fall asleep like logs in the middle of the day. 

The second night, Kili talked about the life as a smith and an arrow-bearer, and Fili talked about longs walks in the rain and sleeping by the fire. They talked about their missing dad, about the weird habits of the humans, about meeting a hobbit once. Their talked in dwarvish and in common-tongue. They even sang rhythms from their childhood, and there was one they both new. 

The third night they were too tired to really talk, but Kili wormed his way into Fili's arms and fall asleep in a hug which felt just as good as their words. He didn't care about Fili's courting anymore; he only wanted him to stay by his side and share even more stories. 

On the next morning they took of to shoot at some birds for supper, and Kili proudly showed off his archery. Fili looked pleased, almost endeared at his bragging, and Kili only felt his heart break a little when he realised he would never see this kind of look on Ori's face anytime soon. 

“Why are you so convinced it is him anyway?” Fili asked him. “Because he's blond and short? Well I am blond and short! Shorter than you, anyway. And only by a bit.”

Kili and him sat side by side in the woods.

“He's the only one who came”, he answered. “Surely, if I had a brother, he would have come to fetch me himself, right?” 

He felt again saddened, but Fili put a arm around his waist in a comforting manner, and then it felt alright. 

“I could tell you now”, Fili whispered in his ear. “I think there is no-one around, and this raven-spies is nonsense anyway. But you would have to hide it well, and I'm not sure you can do that”.

“I am a great secret-keeper!” Kili protested, vexation written all over his face. 

Fili chuckled. 

“You are the worst at keeping your emotions hidden. Everything spreads wide on your baby-face!”

“I am _not_ baby-faced! My face is just the average face there is!”

“But you trim your beard so short!”

“Well, you would too if you had to use a bow, dimwits!”

At this, Fili tackled in in punishment and proceeded to tickle him until Kili begged for mercy twice. 

“You're the worst!” he exclaimed, still chuckling, Fili's face right over his brightened by a wide grin. Really, the dwarf had beautiful eyes, sided by beautiful golden locks, and exquisite little braids that Kili died to tug on. 

But most importantly, Fili's eyes were filled with longing, caring and adoration, and even though Kili was not exactly sure about this, he felt compelled to slide one of his hands into Fili's blond hair.

Fili smiled a little at that, fondly, tenderly, and Kili raised up his head to put a soft, light kiss on his lips. 

Fili started abruptly and almost jumped back in astonishment. 

“ _What was that?_ ” he cried in utter shock.

Dumbfounded, Kili, sat down. “I... thought that would be fine”, he said slowly. “What, with all the courting and all”.

“The... the _what?_ ” Fili shrieked. “There has _never_ been any courting- Kili, what on Middle-Earth made you think-”

Kili looked a little afraid, now, as well as bashful and ashamed. 

But he also looked sad. 

“I'm sorry”, he said, feeling like he had lost, on this useless journey, not only a family but also a friend. “Apparently you were right, I'm not exactly bright. But you could have been less... less handy, too!” he added, trying to find at least an excuse for his misbehaviour. “I mean, with all this... this sleeping together and all, what was I supposed to think?”

“Maybe you were supposed to think that I could be _your brother!_ ” Fili snapped. “I mean I'm young, I'm blond, I'm shorter than you -what else do you need? Oh, maybe having me spend all my time with you and trying to get to know you even though-”

Fili paused. Admittedly, and even if Kili was not exactly bright, Fili's behaviour could have been misleading. 

But apparently Kili did not care about that. 

He looked like he had been struck by lightning, and on a verge of either fainting or exploding maybe. 

“You... you're my brother?” he asked. 

Fili grumbled, checking if there was no-one around. “Yeah, well, yes. Probably. I mean, you're Kili alright, and I'm Thorin's nephew, so yes, that could totally mean we're brothers, even though you are stupid enough to -oh, hey!”

Kili had not waited for him to finish before jumping at his neck, crashing them on the leaves with an immense grin plastered on his face. 

“You're my brother!” he exclaimed, and proceeded to cuddle with him so hard Fili thought it bordered indecency. 

But then he heard weird sounds coming from Kili's face, buried deep in his shoulder, which sounded much like sobbing. 

“What's wrong?” he asked. “Don't be like that, it's okay”. 

“I know!” Kili said -his face covered both in tears and a blinding smile. “It's just... I'd started to think to hard I didn't have a brother... Or that Ori hated me... And- and-”

He both sniffled and giggled at the same time, and Fili embraced him gently. 

“Well I'm not letting you go, if that's what worries you”, he said. “For I remember vividly the day we were parted, and the way you were crying “Fi! Fi! Fi!” at me like a murdered bunny, and I'm not letting that happen again, not ever, believe you me!”

“I don't remember that”, Kili sniffled (one last time). 

“You were really young” Fili said. 

“But you remember! And you can't be that much older than I!”

“I'm five years older”, Fili smiled. “That makes me the big brother who remembers everything. How do you think I recognised you from Thori or Finn-stuff when you three arrived? Plus, you look a great deal like Thorin”. 

“Do I?” Kili asked. “Does that mean he's really my uncle? Because I'm not fond of killing dragons or stuff. I'd be fine with smithing, as long as you don't go”.

“You're an heir of Durin, small head. And heirs need a throne to sit their pretty rears”. (At this point Fili frowned, noticing that was the kind of sentences that had mislead his younger brother earlier. But Kili did not notice). 

“If you're going, I'm going!” he said determinately. “I don't care where, I just don't want to be parted from you ever again”.

“Spoken like a true dwarf” Fili agreed. He kissed him in the hair, then pushed him to get up. 

“Now, show me how good your aim is, little bro, because brains is not what you are going to impress me with!”


	4. Epilogue - The crownless again shall be king.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue.

Thorin came back three days later, along with Bofur-silly-hat, Balin-grey-bearded and Ori's brothers. Kili had pretty much stopped caring about Ori altogether, first because he still resented him a little, and second because he had been far to busy trying to impress his big brother and planning pranks with him. 

Apparently, Thorin recognised him instantly. He got majestically down of his pony and went to Kili (Kili did his best to look worthy of him and not too impressed -which was difficult as Fili was making “about-to-laugh” faces by his side). 

The great Thorin Oakenshield put a hand on his younger nephew's shoulder and looked at him with emotion, then frowned. “Kili. Where is your beard?” he asked.

Kili's eyes widened at that. 

“He trims it. For archery” Fili answered. “He's a pretty decent shooter.”

“Since when do you speak for others?” Thorin frowned at his nephew disapprovingly. 

“Since the other is me”, Kili said, seizing Fili's wist in his hand, a frank but ever-so-slightly mischievous smile widening on his lips. 

Thorin looked at them wonderingly, and both brothers laughed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Renewed shall be the blade that was broken,  
> The crown-less again shall be king.


End file.
